COBDEN AND ITS COUNCILLOR.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 598, 25 December 1869, Page 2

COBDEN AND ITS COUNCILLOR.

(From the Grey River Argus.) A public meeting was held at the schoolhouse, Cobden, on Tuesday night, at half-past eight o'clock, for the purpose of giving the residents an opportunity of stating publicly their opinion with regard to some expressions recently made use of by Mr Inspector Franklyn. Mr Bae, schoolmaster, was called to the chair, and there were about forty persons present. We have no space, at this season of the year, to report the speeches made. Messrs Bae, Wilkie, Boase, and Osbourne addressed the meeting at length. From their remarks it appeared that the cause of offence to "the people of Cobden," was that some time ago Mr Franklyn was heard on separate occasions to say, "lama Fenian;" that"the psalmsingers of Cobden ought to be kicked out of the place; that he held the people of Cobden in the utmost contempt, and that he despised and defied them;" and again, on the day when Mr Wilkie handed the resolution passed at a public meeting, and signed by those present, to Mr "Warden Lowe, Mr Franklyn said "it is only signed by half-a-dozen coal-heavers." Later at a public meeting Mr Franklyn attended, and qualified the language he had used, stating that he had used it in the heat of passion, and afterwards apologised, stating " that he valued the good opinion of the people of Cobden." According to the remarks of Mr Boase, the matter would have been allowed to rest there—as it very properly ought—if Mr Detective Lambert had not boasted " that the people of Cobden were cowed down, and the police had got the better of them." This he characterised as an untruth, and to show that they were not correct, but would remain firm in the position they had taken up, the meeting on Tuesday evening was called, and the whole matter gone into de novo. After a good deal of very strong language had been used, a still stronger resolution was carried, to the effect that the attention of the proper authorities should be called to the expressions complained of. At present we decline to publish the resolution for several reasons because it is a great deal too strong for the occasion, and showed a decided animus ; because it will be forwarded to the proper quarter; because the gentleman attacked is out of the district at present, and cannot defend himself; because every story has two sidos to it, and the plaintiffs case is always a good one until the defendant's is heard.